Mandolin.



F. LANG.

MANDOLIN. APPLICATION mam un. 27. 1908.

WU mom THE NORRIS PTER$ cm, wnsnmnron, n. c.

PATBNTED APRQ'ZB, 1908.

FRANK LANG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MANDOLIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 28, 1908.

Application filed January 27, 1908. Serial No. 412,807.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK LANG, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mandolins, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mandolins, and more particularly to the sound-box thereof, the object being to improve the tonal qualities of the instrument, and also to simplify its construction and thereby reduce the cost of its manufacture.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention partly in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan. view.

Referring specifically to the drawing, 5 denotes the soundboX of the instrument, and 6 is the neck. The sound-box comprises the sounding-board 7, the back 8, and the side walls 9. Each of these parts is made in one piece which is cut and bent to the shape shown. The sounding-board 7 supports the bridge 10 in the usual manner. The sounding-board and back diverge from the neck and near the lower end of the instrument they converge. The sounding-board commences to converge immediately behind the bridge as indicated at 11 and the correspond ing portion 12 of the back is directly oppo site the same and of substantially the same length. The sounding-board and the back taper at both ends, the widest portion being at the junction of the diverging and converging portions thereof. The side walls are made of one piece of material which is shaped which are and bent to fit the outline of the sounding board and the back.

In the manufacture of the instrument, the piece which forms the side-walls is glued to the sounding-board and the back adjacent to edges thereof, and the ends of said piece are glued to the neck 6, as indicated. at 13.

The l finger-board 14 is secured to the neck as! usual and extends over a portion of the sound ing-board and is glued thereto. The upper end of the back is also glued to the bottom of the neck. That portion of the neck to which the ends of the side walls and the upper end of the back are glued, is recessed to receive said parts in order that they may extend flush with the neck. No other gluing is done, and no inside braces are employed so that the vibrations of the sounding-board are not interfered with.

The sound-box also contains a soundingpost 15. The usual tuning head is provided, and the strings are fastened to a tail piece in the ordinary manner.

The sound-box herein described has an angular surface and outline, and all the faces thereof form trapezoids except the lower side which forms a parallelogram. Byshaping the parts and connecting them as stated the instrument can be cheaply manufactured, and its shape as well as the method of uniting the parts improves the tone of the instru ment with respect to volume as well as quality. The sound box construction can also be applied to guitars and similar instruments. Inlaying and other ornamentation as fancy may dictate may be resorted to.

I claim 1 1. In a musical instrument, a sound-box comprising a sounding-board and back having angular surfaces and outlines, and side walls secured thereto.

2. In a musical instrument, a sound-box comprising a sounding-board and a back tapered and converge at opposite ends and side walls secured thereto.

In testimony whereof I afhx my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK LANG.

Witnesses:

NELLIE FELTsKoe, H. G. BATonELon. 

